Tuesday, 1 September 2015

Gavin Chappell-Bates - 95

You know that you've started to make that first formative climb onto the 'you're getting old' train when new artists get nostalgic about a decade that we lived through. Whilst admittedly your humble captain was still in single figures when the 90s Juggernaut came to a grinding halt, we still get a little bit misty-eyed whenever we hear songs that talk about the era.

Which brings us to the latest song from Cambridgeshire native Gavin Chappell-Bates, with an ode to the era which is appropriately titled "95". The song very much wears its influences on its sleeves, with the Britpop-inspired song containing lyrical references to songs by Ash, Oasis and Radiohead. Although melodically, it does seem to takes its cues from two songs from American bands - the melody in the verses reminds us a little bit of "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray, whilst the chorus call to mind "Stacey's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne.

Obvious comparisons aside, this is an enjoyable little nostalgic trip from Mr Chappell-Bates. One minor point of order though - "A Design For Life" is name-checked in the lyrics, despite the fact that this song didn't come out until 1996. Still, given how much we enjoyed "95", we're happy to let it slide.

About The Captain

So what can I tell you about myself? I am from Belfast. I enjoy writing about new music, which keeps me afloat. The Guardian once profiled this blog. I'm old enough to have experienced the Walkman without being retro, but not old enough to have used MySpace whilst it was still cool. I was nominated for the Sony Radio Golden Headphones Award in 2013. Caramacs and Battenberg are life affirming, and the moment some bright spark combines the two my life will be complete.